Awake, for morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts
the stars to flight.

And, lo, the hunter of the east has caught the sultan’s turret in a noose of light.

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable – Christopher Howse: ‘A Pilgrim in Spain.

Note: If a picture really is worth a thousand words, this post is a lot longer than it looks . . .

Cosas de España

A map of the fires in the Iberian peninsula. . . .

A small area saved from the surrounding flames by the fact the cattle have eaten the grass in the shade of a tree . . .

Spanish politics . . .

Cousas de Galiza

A map of the fires in Galicia.

Flames have ravage depopulated areas: Molezuelas de la Carballeda, in Zamora had 500 inhabitants in 1910, 238 in 1981, and now 46 residents live there. It has lost 80% of its population. This town is an example of the abandonment of the countryside, which has been very decisive in the spread of the fires in this wave. In fact, the population of the 107 municipalities affected by the fires so far in the north and northwest of the peninsula, including those in Portugal, has decreased by almost 19% since the 1981 census. “The relationship between fires and depopulation is clear. That’s why we need real territorial planning, with demographic policies,” says Carlos Ferrás, professor of Human Geography at the University of Santiago.

Since the heat wave began in Spain, 32 people have been arrested accused of starting fires in the mountains, and 188 investigations are underway. The latest arrest occurred yesterday in Santiago: a 17-year-old boy suspected of starting at least 7 fires in 10 days.

Almost certainly because at least one toro bravo was (temporarily) saved from death last weekend, there was quite a rush this week to buy bull meat from the one authorised vendor in the market. I suspect there’s some mythical (‘Celtic’) belief associated with the ‘bravery’ of the bull.

Waiting at the station for my son-in-law yesterday, I wandered into the Budget car rental office and asked for their tariff, to be told they didn’t have one. When I asked for a daily rate number, I was quoted €500. I put this ludicrous price down to August demand and profiteering but I read this morning of people choosing to pay a fortune for taxis to Madrid because of the fire-driven disruption to rail travel. Not to mention a 6-fold increase in flight prices. The Spanish expression about making good money(‘a killing’) is Hacer tu agosto. Never more so than this month in some cases. It’s an ill wind . . . Or fire.

With our medieval fair (Feira Franca) coming up in early September, we have the annual crop of pop-up shops around Pv city, selling or hiring out costumes. I have yet to indulge in dressing up for the event, though have always fancied going as an evil Borgia Pope.

A nondescript bit of road, you might say . . .

But 6 people have been killed in pocos años while trying to cross it and the inhabitants of the hamlet have been waiting 8 years for a crossing or a roundabout.

The UK

A bit of Private Eye satire on the theme of the moment . . .

THE USA and THE MAGA REALITY TV SHOW

Quotes of the Day

• If Trump is taking tactical advice from Putin about how to hold something that looks like an election but is not actually an election, that doesn’t bode well for the future of American democracy.

Trump’s new scheme to rig the midterm elections.

Spanish

Gresca: Brawl, fracas, ruckus.

English

• Verbarian: Relating to words.
• Gasconad; Boastful or bombastic language.
• Philautia: Self-conceit; undue regard for oneself.
• Procacious: Cheeky, provocative
• Basic: Gen Z slang for ‘Someone or something that is unoriginal, mainstream, or overly conventional—often in a negative or dismissive way’. 

Did you know?

Iranians are not how most folk think they are . . . Iran gets painted in monochrome by people whose curiosity doesn’t reach beyond the news of war, revolution, oil and oppression. They don’t know its rich history and wildly diverse peoples.

You Have to Laugh

I bought the world’s worst thesaurus. Not only is it terrible, it’s terrible.

A terrible joke, I guess . . . .

Finally . . .

A chat last night with my 6 year old half-Spanish grandson, who attends a non-denominational school in Madrid:-

• Dani: What did you ask those people you just spoke to?
• Me: Whether they were all pilgrims in the same group.
• What are pilgrims?
• People who go on a long walk to a particular church.
• Why do they do that?
• Good question. To pray.
• What is praying?
• They talk to a god they believe in. Usually they ask for something from their god.
• So they have a conversation with their god?
• Yes, sort of.
• Does everyone have their own god?
• Well, different people believe in different gods. People believe that their god created the universe and everything in it.
• But is god still alive?
• Well, yes.
• Because some people people believe that their god killed himself to save others.
• Yes, that is what Christian people believe?
• What are Christians?
• They are people whose god is called Jesus Christ. Jesú Cristo in Spanish.

I decided not to go into the details of the Christian god – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost – as I knew it would be beyond his comprehension [and mine!] and lead to a million more questions. Fortunately the inquisition stopped at this point.

My thanks to those readers who take the trouble to Like my posts.

The Usual Links . . .

You can get my posts by email as soon as they’re published. With the added bonus that they’ll contain the typos I’ll discover later. I believe there’s a box for this at the bottom of each post. If you do this but don’t read the posts, I will delete your subscription. So perhaps don’t bother if you have other reasons for subscribing . . .

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For new readers: If you’ve landed here looking for info on Galicia or Pontevedra, try here. If you’re passing through Pontevedra on the Camino, you’ll find a guide to the city.

If you´re thinking of moving to Spain, this link should be useful to you.